The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-06-12
TRICKY FREIGHT SHIPPERS.
HOW SOME MERCHANTS SAVE WHERE
OTHERS SPEND.
The work or Railroad Clerhs-A Body 81
Men whework Hard for their yvaEes-Ths
nvstau> or d,hecHsrr md shipping Freight

| Tho work or Haiirond CIerhs-A BODY 81
Men whework Hard for their wsEcs-The
System OF Checking and shipping Freight.
The handling Of the incoming and out
going freight Of a great city like ours Is O work
| OF such magnitude that some information re-
| specting tho methods and systems employed
should not be without interest for the public,
| When II Is considered that comparatively SC
| few articles are lost In transit. notwthstand.
| Ing tho number Of times they are loaded. UNI
| loaded, and transferred from.the cars,and rails
Of one corporation to those Of another. each
| such operation increasing the liability to mis-
laying. 1t must DO seen that nothing but won-
derfully organized and perfected system for
enabling tho tracing OF an article from the
moment Of Ito receipt until 1t is delivered can
effect such q result.
Merchandise Is carried by railroad COM
pany at a rate Of 80 much per 100 pounds. exc
cept In cases OF special agreement Everything
is classified in proportion to its weight, bulk
value, and liability to damage In transporta-
ton. and Is rated accordingly.
A Western trader. let 1t DO supposed. ID
sending on his spring orders to New York He
has the classification Of freight which took ef-
| feet on April la classification so complicated
and misleading that 1t is understood 1t is about
| TO be withdrawn. Probably he objects to the
| DlGn Tuulns OF bOHe Oh tne COnIuOultieS ue TO-
quires. 1t Is apparently an unwrtten law
that 1t is no sin to cheat q railroad
company. and, consequently. this worthy mer.
chant, who may be an elder Of his church,
and who doubtless would place CORE.
| spondence and circulars suggesting TRANSACT
ton in green goods" in the hands Of Inspec.
tor Dyrnes, studies his tariff and orders his
goods. upon which he considers rates too high.
shipped say as stamped tinware. nested
| solid" Stamped tinware, nested solid, is SUBJ
| ject to fourth class, almost lowest rates, and
| Is designation which covers q multitude Of
SINS Tho preference as q carrier is always
given to a road which is not in the pool or Is In
difficulty with 1t. Receiving clerks, not having
| authority to open cases Of goods under
such circumstances. or probably having
instructions to receive all goods offered
as being what they are represented, are not
supposed to alter receipts and duplicates SO
that rates might be charged at classification
rates. The Baltimore and Ohio. which. until
recently. was in some trouble with or was not
acknowledged by the other roads in the pool
did. proportionately. an enormous business In
but ee
OF base bali bats then rst-class freight
IN IKE Rny HE IN ySd
in itself haYe been pr9 The
reeesnized By the I POOL la and is now furnis6ed
with inspectors at the freight receiving depots.
GaSy y 9 he n do Il
that shippers do not wrongfully specify thei1
goods in the shipping receipts, and thereby
to and
shipments with a view to- finding II there haa
the case, lie alters the dupii cate of the receipt
shipper for forwarding and billing, and such
goods are then billed to the e eSnI at
et ss Gaea the e0 vslaneo d the
spectors and their Intimate knowledge
se 81 goods escape the@ fh as
81 from is so 20 cents perhaps On lSS pounds, q
first class articles are shipped as second and
fourth class would more probably lead to dc.
rese
sailed for table glassware-third- rate class
as eas ana ana
clocks, m nrst Glass rates.
2osa 'hf
end they are without
$40 u1rlG month upward. man Who has $50 Of
$40 a month is considered in good circum.
| stances. They are, as a. rule, sober, steady
married mon; a A. with sash i ,neaFFFe wages
|
Ss$d e s%ss
0GEsee c ats Ks s POM So to month
an% s! r h 9sSs s M
and ends as soon ,I after rs rs they t can
onk Of h ss ro %1't and arys es
lions and all the territory COY covered by IT.
# OF
| shortages which may arise. 1t sometimes hap-
pens that they have to try con nc and
The clerk patience Beyond endurance linits
eSen 1sfSsnE s the 'G the
Thereof which he retains. thus Identifying him
G 5s hs aqsn s9os$
tom and correctness 81 the shipment s The The
P f4s thereon the nRcS eF {bs
Wers endorsing the receiving clerk as to GUAM
fs sS Sm IN S11sps
a ana snss when "a" the 0fss tho Goods
sapnsd IS far nsh Durns
busy season fourteen and fifteen hours day
not at a unusual and ior THIS oS GSerai tim ;S as
checker, having worked until perhaps midnight
or later. Is expected to DO at his work on time
In the morning. Freight checkers get about
| $50 month.
The duplicate. with the weight Of the goods.
tho number, OF the car In which they have
and checking clerks on 1t. Is now passed on 10
| the billing department. where the shipment ia
before leaving the station at which it is loaded
Is sealed with the seal Of that station and that
| seal must be found intact when the car reaches
| conductor to another he Is supposed to exam.
Inc each car. and II anything Is wrong. to. nota
| the attention Of the agent or conductor from
whom he received 1t to its condition.
The system OF checking and shipping freight
| as above described is peculiar. to the New York
Central. the Baltimore and OHIO, and some q
| system. which In the opinion OF the most expert.
| enced railroad men OF the country is the best.
Is known among them as the blind check, the
| and directions as to route DC, furnished by
| the shipper passing from the hands Of the re-